


A Matter of Time

by Ninna_7



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everybody Lives, First Kiss, Genius Lydia Martin, Getting Together, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22364140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninna_7/pseuds/Ninna_7
Summary: He noticed his pack looking at him, and they didn’t seem as relieved as Stiles expected. In fact they were looking in his direction as if he had grown a second head or something.“I don’t think you should look so surprised, I’ve been training a lot lately, okay?” He said indignantly, crossing his arms.“Stiles, that’s not...” Scott said, half pointing at his direction.That’s when Stiles heard that familiar voice again from behind him, “I think they’re confused about me, buddy.”Stiles then remembered that he had to thank the stranger who had helped them, but... Wait... That familiar voice… Was that his voice? He turned around abruptly, wide eyed. He took three steps back, tripping and nearly falling on the ground.Or: Stiles accidentally summons his future self who claims they can heal the nemeton.If he helps younger Stiles and Derek to see what's always been right in front of them, that's a pleasant coincidence. Right?
Relationships: Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Cora Hale/Kira Yukimura, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Implied Isaac Lahey/Malia Tate, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 61
Kudos: 1811
Collections: Sterek the good stuff





	A Matter of Time

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda chose what I wanted to keep from canon, and then discarded everything else, so basically everybody lives but lots of stuff from the later series are still included
> 
> Thanks The_Forgotten_Nobody for all the support and beta-reading!

It was just Stiles' luck, that a couple of days after he decided to show off some of his magical potential to his pack mates back in Beacon Hills, a dark druid would appear once more. But hey, at least this time Derek didn't fall in love with them.

This made him remember a couple of years ago, when he was still an anxious mess, twitchy, even… weaker, he'd think. When every week some new supernatural creature would show up to take their chances on killing him and his friends, possessing them, feeding on their power.

However, things had quieted down for a while before he decided to move to San Diego and study Forensic Psychology. Scott, Allison and Lydia had also left Beacon Hills behind, but they were still very close, video called each-other frequently, and met every time they could. Cora, Jackson and Isaac would still make contact sometimes, but they lived in different continents, so meeting was hardly ever possible. Derek had stayed, Erica, Boyd, Kira and Malia with him. And Peter, well… after Scott and Derek teamed up to ban him from Beacon Hills permanently, no one heard from him again.

Spring Break came, and instead of getting passed out drunk for three weeks in a row like his last one, Stiles decided to go back home to spend some quality time with his dad and his pack. That and to annoy Deaton until he agreed to teach Stiles some things he just couldn’t seem to grasp by himself. And that’s how he found himself in the middle of a battle against a dark druid, trying and failing to paralyze them, while his pack fought a dozen or so zombies. _‘Corpses reanimated by black magic,’_ he could hear Derek’s voice correcting him in his memories, he still couldn’t see the difference.

It’s hard enough to concentrate on spells when there’s a dark druid trying to suck all your energy away from you. It’s particularly harder when you add a sprinkle of anxiety to the mixture. His mind kept wandering to really unhelpful thoughts, like how he’s still weak, how he should have trained harder, how he wishes he had more experience, more time to practice. It was clear that he was in no condition to ‘show off’ yet.

But then something happened. He heard quick footsteps running in his direction from behind him, and before he could even turn around, a beacon of light much like his own, just brighter and larger, joined his. He heard a familiar voice shout, as if anticipating his next action, “Don’t stop now, we got this!” And for the first time since he started learning how to harvest his magical potential, he felt that ‘yes, he got this’.

Stiles put everything he had in that attack, and after a few seconds of struggle, the darach muttered some words and disappeared. The zombies fell back on the ground, not moving. And Stiles felt a wave of relief take over him, as he panted and felt his muscles already sore. He wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.

He noticed his pack looking at him, and they didn’t seem as relieved as Stiles expected. In fact they were looking in his direction as if he had grown a second head or something.

“I don’t think you should look so surprised, I’ve been training a lot lately, okay?” He said indignantly, crossing his arms.

“Stiles, that’s not...” Scott said, half pointing at his direction.

That’s when Stiles heard that familiar voice again from behind him, “I think they’re confused about me, buddy.”

Stiles then remembered that he had to thank the stranger who had helped them, but... Wait... That familiar voice… Was that his voice? He turned around abruptly, wide eyed. He took three steps back, tripping and nearly falling on the ground.

Stiles was in front of himself, or at least a version of himself. It was like looking in a mirror that showed yourself in the future. At least he looked good, he thought. But that wasn’t right. There shouldn’t be two of him here, or anywhere for that matter.

“Explain.” Stiles heard Derek say, through gritted teeth, which was an unexpected reaction. He thought Derek would have just assumed the worst and attacked this older version of himself like a shapeshifter or some other unknown creature. But even more unexpected was the contained smirk in his older self’s face, like he knew a secret no one else did.

“I’m Stiles, but older.” For a moment they thought he would end his explanation at that, but this was Stiles, so he continued, “He, or I, kinda summoned me here by accident, when he, I, was trying to concentrate on restraining the darach. So here I am, and I’ll stay for a few days until the darach comes back, follows us to the nemeton and me, myself and Lydia heal the nemeton with the darach energy.” He stopped to take a breath. “It’s gonna be quite dramatic and kinda badass, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m looking forward to living all this from a different angle. I mean, now that I know that it’s gonna work and don’t feel the pressure that this me is gonna be feeling.” He pointed at the younger Stiles. “Sorry buddy, you have a couple of hard days ahead of you. But you know, it’s gonna end up all good, and you were the one who started it anyway, so it’s on you, really.”

“How can we know that you’re really who you say you are?” Malia asked, skeptical.

“Really, you still have doubts after that monologue?” Boyd interjected, with a sarcastic tone.

Older Stiles took a few steps closer to his younger self, shaking his hands and making them glow faintly. In an instant Scott was holding one of his hands up high, keeping him away from present Stiles.

“Chill, bro. I need to say something to myself, and I’m not risking any of you eavesdropping, so I have to make my own soundproof booth with my hands. Trust me, you can hear I’m not lying.”

“His heartbeat is even.” Kira said from several steps away, and Scott moved back reluctantly. 

Older Stiles wasn’t gonna tell them that through the next few years he would learn to lie through his heartbeat.

He approached his younger self, hands glowing and covering each side of his ear, and started whispering something. The other members of the pack watched as present Stiles’ eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. He seemed fidgety again, like old times.

Older Stiles took a step back, hands no longer glowing, and waited. Young Stiles cleared his throat, looking away, and said in a constrained voice, “Yep, he’s me alright… There’s no way anyone else would know… You know… How do you? You’re me. Right, nevermind… so...” He cleared his throat again. “What were you saying about the nemeton?”

“We’re gonna heal it.” Older Stiles said with a grin. “But first, I need some food in me. Had to skip dinner for this. And I know exactly where I want to eat.” He finished, clasping his hands together.

Some members of the pack were tired, bloody and hurt, but they were all too curious about this older version of Stiles, his bold claim of healing the nemeton, and just magical time travel in general. Lydia kept coming up with theories about how it would be possible and the implications on reality itself, and multidimensions theories. Older Stiles encouraged her, the younger one being still too amazed and confused by being in the presence of an older version of him.

“How old are you?” Young Stiles asked, interrupting the conversation that had been going on. He stopped paying attention after coming to terms with the fact that his favourite diner would close in a year's time.

“Turning 30 in three days.” He said after swallowing and wiping his mouth. Young Stiles was glad to see his older body could still afford the same appetite. “Exactly ten years older than you.” He finished with a smile.

“So you know what’s gonna happen in the next ten years of our lives?” Kira asked.

“Yep”

“And who wins the Super Bowls?” It was Boyd’s turn to ask.

“Sorry man, I wouldn’t tell you even if I could remember it.” He proceeded to smile at his fries, “Though I can still remember some of the World Series champions.”

Derek could  
n’t stop himself from looking up, curiosity peaking at the mention of baseball, but he was still too tense to say anything. Why he felt tense was a mystery to him. Time travel was weird, yes, but he had handled worse. And this was just Stiles in front of him. Stiles, older than Derek is now, no more flailing limbs and jittery legs. Exuding confidence and looking so comfortable in his own body, that it made Derek’s breath catch. Stiles was never _‘just’_ Stiles.

He realised he was staring. His breath caught again when he noticed older Stiles staring back, an ever present smile. Derek suddenly felt small, like he was a teenager missing some important point the adults all knew about.

“We like baseball in the future?” Young Stiles asked, doubtful.

“No we don’t.” He smirked again.

Derek was ready to say his goodbyes, leave the table and the diner, when suddenly Lydia grabbed older Stiles’s left hand away from his curly fries. He startled, but soon realised what had prompted her. She looked closely at the black obsidian ring with a single small moon stone on older Stiles' ring finger.

“You’re married!” She said, excitedly. 

The rest of the people at the table seemed surprised, but none more than Stiles himself, the young one. Derek tried to look away, but he couldn’t stop himself from flicking his eyes between the nineteen year old and the twenty-nine year old Stiles’.

Older Stiles gave a good laugh, before saying, “I am.”

Derek wasn’t the only one who noticed how older Stiles’ voice changed to a loving tone, the one reserved for the moments where one speaks about their dearest ones, but he was definitely the most affected by it. Future Stiles was happily married, he was confident and care-free, and Derek was sure that the two things went hand in hand. His heart felt warm, knowing that despite all the pain, Stiles had a beautiful future ahead of him. He almost felt proud. So why did his chest still hurt?

“Who are we married to?!” Stiles blurted out, excitement and fear in his voice. He regretted asking as soon as the words left his mouth. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to know the answer to that.

“Do Boyd and I get married?!” Erica asked next, not giving him time to answer.

Older Stiles looked at Boyd, knowingly. Boyd was looking out of the window, practically chugging his drink. In a few years, Erica would tell Stiles that by the time of that dinner, Boyd had already decided to propose to her as soon as they both graduated from university. In less than two years, Erica and Boyd would be engaged.

“Sorry guys, I won’t mess up all our lives by telling you what happens.”

“Oh, come on!” Erica complained.

“Hey, this isn’t fun for me either, okay? Do you know me? Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my mouth shut and not tell you all the stuff that we’ll all go through?! I can’t just say stuff you might not be ready to hear, that could literally destroy your future and my present and I’m way too happy to risk losing any of that, okay?” He took a breath, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but just be patient all right?” And he continued, lower, more for himself than for the others at the table, “I know there’s a lot of stuff I’d rather not go through, but if that’s what it takes...” He didn’t finish.

“How do you know what you can say and not say?” Allison asked, bemused, “I mean, you told us that you are married, so we know you'll get married before you're thirty… isn’t that also against the rules?”

“Yeah, well… as you see, I’m in the room,” He pointed at his younger self, “So I remember what I said. If I remember it happening, I can let it happen. And for the other stuff, like conversations we had without me in the room, you all briefed me before I left the present. I mean, the future.”

“Well, I suppose it's some comfort to know we're all still alive in ten years,” Kira said, slightly annoyed, but her words were true.

“I’m gonna go,” Derek stood up, finding all that a bit too much. “I have to...” He didn’t _‘have to’_ anything, and his brain didn’t help him come up with a lie.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Older Stiles stood as well, kindly giving him a way out, “Hey buddy, do you think dad’s gonna freak out too much if you take me home with you?” He asked himself.

“You already know the answer, no?” Younger Stiles asked.

“Yep.” He put his jacket on, “wanna make a bet?”

“You’ll obviously win,” He scoffed at the audacity of his older self.

“Well, then so will you.”

“No, no, no. You're giving me a headache.” Scott stopped their back and forth, “Let’s talk about this tomorrow, okay? I’m too tired and my brain too fried for any more of this.”

“Whatever you wish, bro,” Older Stiles hugged Scott in a familiar way, and Scott didn’t find it as weird as he expected.

\----------

When the two Stiles' got home, their father was already asleep, so they decided to leave the surprise for the morning. Turned out he'd been right and time travel really was a thing they had to deal with. The Stiles' knew he'd never let them leave this down.

The two were exhausted. Especially the younger one, who still hadn't grown accustomed to using his magical potential at full capacity. So they both fell asleep quickly, with the older one taking the couch. His dad really would have a big surprise when he woke up in the morning.

Derek was a completely different story. However tired, he just couldn't shut his eyes and surrender himself to the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. Even though he desperately wanted it. There was just too much stuff on his mind. Stuff like Stiles. Like his future self's broad shoulders, his loud laugh, and his scent.

It had been the scent that had stopped Derek in his tracks when he first saw older Stiles, and made him drop any intention of attacking the unexpected appearance. It, _'he'_ , smelt like Stiles, like a version of him without all the extra teenager stuff. That was fine, understandable, if not normal. What was different, startling about it, was that Derek could smell his own scent on the other man, too much of it.

And then there were the smirks. They bothered him. Not that Derek would ever admit it, but they made him doubt himself. Derek had never been a guy to share much about himself and the experiences he'd accumulated in life. He could tell that he and Stiles had grown, _'would grow?'_ even closer through the years, but he wasn't sure how much this older Stiles knew about him. He only knew that older Stiles knew too much.

When he finally fell asleep, however, he fell deep.

\----------

Older Stiles woke up with the smell of coffee coming from his old home's kitchen. He followed the smell lazily, and could hear the click clack of cutlery from inside the room.

"Morning, dad," He said, cheerful.

"Listen," Mr. Stilinski started, not turning around, pouring himself a cup of coffee, "I don't even wanna know. My son's sleeping in his room upstairs, I checked." He turned around to face his son, "Just please, tell me you kids will fix this and things will go back to normal."

Stiles thought that his dad looked tired. Strangely more tired than his future dad ever did in older Stiles' time. His younger face looked older than Stiles remembered. He'd missed it when he was younger. He really needed to heal the nemeton. His dad deserved a peaceful retirement. They all deserved some peace.

"That's what I'm here for," He said quietly, "I won't stay long."

Mr. Stilinski looked at the younger man in front of him and felt a little guilty. The eyes were definitely Stiles', he was sure of it. He picked up a cup from the cupboard and served his son some coffee.

"Thanks, dad," Stiles said, and the two were quiet for a while.

"Time travel?" He heard his dad ask, from behind his coffee.

"Yep," he replied, able to see a little smirk form in his father's lips.

They finished their coffee and Stiles washed the cups. He stared at the jeep parked outside through the window and shouted at his dad in the living room.

"Hey dad, do you think I'd mind if I took Roscoe for a ride?"

His dad blinked at him a few times, annoyance apparent in his face, "Just go, Stiles."

He pretended to still be annoyed when his son hugged him and kissed him goodbye amidst laughter.

\----------

It had been years in his time since Roscoe passed away. He even wrote a eulogy to his faithful jeep. So being able to drive that car again brought Stiles much joy, and since he was experiencing things he no longer could experience in his time, he decided to drive to a place he knew would look much different from his present.

He parked by the preserve and walked for a while until he found the ruins of the Hale house. He felt his heart tightening with the view. 'Much different indeed', he thought.

"This is private property," Stiles heard from behind him.

He closed his eyes and smiled, before turning around, facing a shirtless Derek, "So I've been told."

Derek and Stiles stared each-other down for a few seconds, then Stiles turned again, and Derek approached him.

"You okay, man?" Stiles asked, Derek raised an eyebrow.

Stiles' expression didn't change. He didn't make a joke about Derek's eyebrows' eloquence which would have made him roll his eyes. He didn't try to fill the silence with bad timed jokes which would have made him scoff and growl. He didn't apologise and start fidgeting uncomfortably which would have made Derek feel guilty. Stiles just looked at him, gently, waiting.

Derek didn't like that. It wasn't comfortable. He felt like he had to answer. He almost felt like he'd like to talk about it.

"I'm not a fan of this whole time travel thing," he replied, honestly.

"Yeah it isn't easy, is it?" Another question for Derek to answer.

"I've dealt with worse."

Stiles snorted, laughing, "That's an understatement," and with more seriousness, he continued after a few seconds, "But it gets better."

Stiles stared into Derek's eyes. They were just as beautiful now as they were then, but the weight in Stiles heart returned when he noticed how sad this Derek's eyes still were. He'd missed that too when he was younger.

"What is it?" Derek asked with a low voice.

"Sorry, it's just that a lot happens in ten years, I wish I'd known better back then. Or now, for you," He took a deep breath, "This whole time travel thing can be very messy, and it gives me headaches. It uses so much of my abilities as well, it's like I'm tired all the time. I said yesterday that you all briefed me but you weren't very specific, so there's still a lot that I'm not sure if I should or even can say. You specifically made sure to be as cryptic as possible, because _'I told you that',"_ He said mockingly, with air quotes, "And because you _'trust me'_ ," He shook his head and pointed at Derek, accusingly, "You should not trust me like that, I'm telling you, this is not easy, I could be messing up in this exact moment. You just enjoy seeing me like this, don't you?!" He finished, flustered and catching his breath.

Derek was smiling, for once. He did like that side of Stiles.

"You know that telling me all that will just make me tell you that in the future, right?" He asked, amused.

"Shut up Derek, I know," He replied, frustrated, throwing his arms up.

The two looked at each-other again, and Stiles noticed that Derek still had no shirt on. He failed to keep his eyes on Derek's face for just one second, just enough for Derek to notice.

"Thought you were married," He regretted his words as soon as they came out. They sounded too close to resentment.

He should've just ignored it, like he always did when his Stiles looked at him like that. _'His Stiles'_.

"Doesn't mean I'm blind," he said, casually, and waved a hand dismissively. Stiles turned to leave, "Besides, they already made me pay for it," he finished, with a chuckle.

Derek felt a quick sharp pain cross his chest. It felt a lot like jealousy.

"Want a ride, big guy?" Stiles asked, and Derek raised his eyebrows instinctively, "You know, assuming you ran here. I'll be waking up in a while and freaking out about me not being there and Roscoe being gone. So I'd like to save myself the stress," he explained.

"You have to stop that," Derek complained, but followed.

Before getting in the car, Stiles looked back one more time at the ruins, then looked at Derek and said, unprompted, "Wild lilies is a good call."

That was exactly what Derek hated about this situation. Actually, he hated a lot of things about it, but this strange Stiles saying things out of nowhere that just fit was definitely the worst of it. Derek hadn't told anyone that in the past couple of months he had been toying with the idea of maybe, perhaps, one day, potentially rebuilding the Hale house. Nobody knew he was torn between planting wild lilies or wild roses on each side of his very hypothetical, and definitely not planned out, front porch.

Being given these little hints of his future messed him up. He wouldn't dare hope for a happy life, and he couldn't stand the idea of a miserable future. His past had had enough misery already. He'd rather not know. If he didn't know, either outcome was equally unlikely.

Still… Wild lilies.

\----------

Derek and Stiles were nearly at the Stilinski residence when Derek's phone rang.

 _"Dude, I had the weirdest, most vivid dream last night!,"_ Derek could almost see younger Stiles pacing back and forth in his living room by his frantic tone, _"We were fighting the darach, and then suddenly this me from the future showed up and he said that we were gonna heal the nemeton. But then we went to the diner, and, oh, apparently the diner is gonna close?! And we were there eating, but then I came home with him and I woke up today and figured it was a dream,"_ He wouldn't even stop for air, _"But then I woke up, right, and I don't remember how the fight ended and how I got home or if anyone got hurt… Oh my god, Derek are you okay?"_ He paused for a second

"Yeah, in one piece," Derek figured he'd better answer. His chest was warmed by Stiles' worry, but he couldn't bring himself to stop him. Derek was always amused by Stiles' ramblings.

 _"Oh, thank god! Did I pass out or something? Cause I don't remember coming home and Roscoe isn't here, and my whole body hurts, and I'm very confused!"_ He finally finished.

"I'm close to your house, I'll be there in a minute," He said, not bothering to answer him.

_"Oh… okay, cool. Nice. See you in a minute then. Yeah, cool."_

Derek ended the call with a smile, almost forgetting he wasn't alone.

They parked by the house less than five minutes later, and older Stiles didn't bother knocking, startling his younger self. Younger Stiles yelped at the sight of himself. He realised then, this was far from a dream.

They were all in the living room when Lydia arrived carrying five different books.

"Oh good, you're all here," She handed the books to Derek, and proceeded to take off her coat and place it on one armchair, "I did some research this morning, cause I couldn't quite wrap my mind around this time travel thing, and the fact there there are two Stiles existing at the same time, and how you managed to summon yourself from the future."

She took the books back and placed them on the dining table. Older Stiles was perched on it.

"And I figured that part out," she said, with a triumphant smile.

"Of course you did," Older Stiles said, proudly.

Lydia smiled at him, "But then I moved on to trying to understand how we could be able to heal the nemeton," She opened one of the books and the three approached her. Older Stiles put an arm casually around her shoulders, and she continued, "You had to use a lot of your magic to be able to travel back, so really you wouldn't be able to heal the nemeton by yourself. Actually, even with the both of you, it still wouldn't work. But then I remembered tomorrow is your birthday, so I figured that was relevant," The three were looking at her attentively," And… it's just incredible," She shook her head, "Your magic doubles at the time of your birth, and on top of it all there's a storm forecast for that night, which you could harvest. I mean, so many things had to align… Even the darach," She paused, and then finished, "I'm assuming you want to kill it by purifying it."

"God, you really are a genius!" Older Stiles said, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.

Derek looked away. This Stiles seemed even closer to Lydia than the Stiles he knew well. He didn't like it, but it was not his place to approve or disapprove of Stiles' future relations. They could be married in the future, for all he knew. The thought of it made his stomach sink, but his attention soon changed focus when he noticed how lost younger Stiles looked.

"Stiles, you okay?" Derek asked, apprehensive.

"I don't think so," He moved away from the table, "No, I'm definitely not okay." The three stared at him in silence, "This is too much. No. I can't use my magic like that yet. I mean, harvest energy from a storm? I'm not strong enough." 

Lydia opened her mouth to say something, but older Stiles squeezed her hand warningly, and she fell silent.

"Yes you are," Derek said, surprising even himself. Younger Stiles stared at him, not convinced, so he continued, "If anyone can pull this off, it's you. You have a talent to get yourself in an out the most unfathomable situations, Stiles. If it was anyone else, I'd say it's impossible, but it's you, so you'll get it done. You always do," He felt his cheeks warm, "And you won't do it alone."

Stiles looked away, chewing on his lower lip, "Okay," It was almost a whisper, "I'll try," he said, shooting a timid smile at Derek.

\----------

The rest of the pack joined them later that day, and everything was explained. Erica, Malia and Kira kept asking about their futures, just to be shut down by older Stiles. Boyd tried to trick him into telling him who would win the next World Series unsuccessfully, and Allison and Scott were just there for the ride, with snacks for everyone.

In the afternoon, both Stiles’ locked themselves in a room so they could prepare their magic for the next night. The others stayed around, planning on how to take on the darach and how to get them in the right place at the right time to finally be able to heal the nemeton.

Older Stiles explained that healing the nemeton meant that fewer supernatural creatures would be attracted to Beacon Hills. Practically no evil creatures at all would show up in their lives, once that had been done. With that piece of information, everyone got really excited about getting the job done.

The pack decided to stay around for dinner and they ordered a few pizzas. Stiles was getting his fourth slice when he noticed Derek joining his older self with a beer on the front porch.

He tried not to stare, not to be jealous. How stupid it was that he was jealous of himself. Shouldn't he be hopeful that Derek liked being alone with his future self?

But ten years were too many years to wait for that. He'd be married by then, he knew, unless that was a sick joke from his older part. But he knew he'd never cause himself that kind of hurt on purpose. He just wished he was enough for Derek now, as he was, anxiety and rambling and flailing limbs.

It's not that Derek treated him badly. They had become friends and learned to rely on each-other. Especially after Derek evolved. They shared interests and spent time together with the pack. They even made each-other laugh sometimes. But he and Derek were hardly ever alone together. Derek nearly flinched when Stiles ventured to hug him or touch his shoulder unannounced. It seemed like he had some growing to do before any of that could become a regular thing.

On the porch, older Stiles was sitting on the steps with a beer. Derek stood beside him.

"You know," Stiles began, "Everyone is both eager and scared to know about their future," He took a swig from his bottle, "You're the only one who seems utterly terrified of it."

"Can you blame me?" Derek asked, bitterly.

"Hardly," Stiles replied, "The thing that strikes me though, is that I don't know if you're more afraid of knowing about the bad stuff or the good stuff."

Derek was quiet for a moment, feeling called out, but decided to explain himself, "I'm very used to not getting what I want, Stiles."

"Things change."

"Hardly," He mimicked Stiles.

"Says the man who once wanted to rip my throat out with his teeth," He chuckled.

"Oh, believe me, sometimes I still want to," Derek replied, half joking.

Stiles looked him in the eye with a half smile and Derek felt the ground below his feet crumble. How could this older Stiles look at him like that? Why did Derek feel like he could weep from happiness and from pain all at once at his presence?

Stiles looked at his bottle, label completely destroyed underneath his thumbs. He missed his family. He felt lonely in the past, even though most of them were there. It was painful seeing his loved ones without so many memories they shared. It was almost like being forgotten.

He couldn't wait to go back home.

"You deserve good things, Derek," He said, in a sad tone, "It took me a long time to convince you of that," He breathed deeply, and looked away, "So if you wouldn't mind making that guy's life a bit easier," He pointed at his younger self watching them from inside the house with his thumb, "Start paying attention."

Derek looked inside and could see Stiles stiffen and fidget a bit before turning away.

"Did I tell you to tell me that as well?" He asked.

Stiles scoffed, "You refused to tell me anything about this conversation. Apparently you have no interest in making my life easier, after all," He said and stood up, "Come on sourwolf, let's watch a movie."

"Hey, we're gonna watch a movie!" Scott shouted from inside.

It took nearly half an hour for the pack to decide on what to watch, but they found something, and half of them fell asleep before the movie ended.

After, older Stiles left to his younger self's bed, arguing that he was older and his back would benefit from a mattress.

Derek was helping Stiles clean up after everyone else had left. He didn't really want to be alone right now.

The younger man was unusually quiet, sometimes mumbling unintelligible things under his breath, which made Derek worry.

"Stiles," Derek wanted to ask how he was doing, but Stiles startled and shot his head up, rubbish bag in his hands.

"What?" He asked, quickly.

"You're mumbling."

Derek noticed instantly that his words had the opposite effect of what he’d intended, because Stiles was looking away and apologising the next second.

"No, that's not…" Derek sighed and rubbed his brow with one hand. _'Make his life easier,'_ "I meant to ask you if you're okay, cause you're saying things under your breath and that kinda worries me," He could give himself a high-five for the amount of words he managed to put in just one sentence.

"Ah, thanks," He paused and bit his lower lip, thinking.

Derek watched Stiles work his lip, not even trying to hide that he was staring. Stiles looked up again, and so did he.

"I'm just… I kind of wish that I was already him," he said with a heavy voice, "He's so sure of everything."

"That's just because he already lived this. He doesn't have to be scared."

"It's more than that, though," He continued, "He's not… The way he speaks and the way he acts, it's like he's gotten over all the stuff I still can't shake off. And I know that I should be happy that I'll eventually get there but," He sighed, "It just puts into perspective how far I have to go to be that. Like, you know when you win at something, and you're happy about it, cause, hey you finally won something? But then you get to the big leagues and you're just the worst and most unqualified participant out there… That's how I feel looking at him… These past years I thought I had gotten somewhere, but now," He shrugged, "Now I don't even know anymore…"

He bit his lip again, and Derek thought he was gonna lose it and just hug Stiles, sink his face in his neck and hold him until the smell of sadness disappeared. But the younger man interrupted his thoughts, saying, "Sorry, I'm rambling again, you're probably tired. I can finish cleaning by myself," Stiles didn't look up.

"No. I'll help you 'till you're satisfied with how things are here," Derek hoped the double meaning of that sentence didn't get lost on Stiles, but just in case, "I get what you mean… feeling inadequate," Stiles looked up, finally, "I get that… But you, you have no reason to feel that way. You're great as you are, you've always been," He forced the words out, "I mean, you can be infuriating sometimes, but you really have come a long way…" Derek scoffed, "You're so selfless you don't even realise how much you’re indispensable to others. So you don't ever have to feel inadequate."

He noticed how Stiles was staring at him, and thought that maybe he'd said too much. Stiles had a faint blush on his cheeks, his heart rate was fast, eyes eager and lips parted, breathing slowly and way too even. His eyes had a different shine to them, and that's when it hit Derek.

That look was so close to the ones older Stiles gave him when he thought no one was looking. The one that made him want to laugh and cry all at the same time.

 _'Oh…'_ Derek thought.

But then Stiles was grinning, his eyes squinting, and Derek felt that his own heart was just going to beat its way out of his chest.

"Thanks, Derek. That means a lot," He shifted in his shoes and looked away, blushing, "And neither do you, you know. You're never inadequate," He glanced up.

Derek could barely move a muscle. Was this Stiles starting to make him tense as well?

"I think this is enough for now," Stiles said, feeling nervous and looking away again.

He threw the last pizza box in the trash.

Derek cleared his throat and nodded. Yeah, _for now_ , that was enough.

\----------

Younger Stiles spent half the night tossing and turning. He thought of himself in the future, of the nemeton, of his magic and of Derek.

He began to wonder how different his future would be from what he wanted it to be, now. If he was being honest with himself, he knew he wanted Derek. He’d wanted him for years now, but he didn’t think that it would ever happen. He doubted he’d be able to let go of Derek and be happy afterwards. It just seemed impossible.

But his older self did look happy. Was he pretending, for younger Stiles’ benefit? Was younger Stiles wrong and able to get over Derek? Or maybe - part of him desperately hoped - Maybe Derek would be…

And that was enough to start a spiral that would only stop when he got too exhausted to be conscious.

\----------

Despite barely sleeping, present Stiles got up early, still wondering, still guessing, until he couldn't resist the urge to go through his older self's jacket pockets in a search for answers.

He figured his older self already knew that was going to happen, so if he succeeded it was because he had his blessing.

Stiles found a wallet. He opened it to find some cash, and all the sleeves were empty but one. There was a picture in one of them, and he turned it hesitantly.

It was a little girl, maybe three or four years old. She had a big grin on her lips and her eyes were squinted shut. Her dark blonde hair was wavy, stopping at her little shoulders. In her arms was a grey plush wolf, which made Stiles smile through his confusion.

"Found what you were looking for?" Stiles startled with the voice that came from the stairs` landing.

"Not exactly," he replied, turning around.

His older self was wearing another of his t-shirts, he wore a necklace Stiles hadn’t noticed before. A magic rune, he thought. He’d look that up later.

He raised the picture, showing it to his older self, "Who is she?" He asked, already predicting the answer.

"My daughter," Older Stiles approached him.

So he had a daughter. And she was the cutest little girl he had ever seen. He felt his heart full, but he was also too curious. She didn't look much like him, nor like anyone he knew. Maybe Erica, if he considered the curls, but still not quite there. He needed to ask, but his older self beat him to it.

"We rescued her two years ago. We were hunting down these people who trafficked supernatural children," Stiles was tense, both of them were.

"Why would…"

"A werewolf is a powerful and loyal friend to have by your side. You raise them a certain way and they can become an incredible weapon," he explained.

"They're people, not weapons," his younger self argued.

"I know that, you know that, and we made sure that they understood that too, thoroughly," His voice went dark for a second, "And when we did, we found her. She was barely a year old, and her parents had been killed. We tried looking for them, but they didn't have a pack, and so… You know how it is."

The two were silent for a few seconds.

"Is she a werewolf too?"

"Yep, she's the sweetest little thing,” He smiled, “but also 100% trouble. She was quite taken by-" He stopped himself, "My uh, other half. She wouldn't let go of them. And they wouldn't let go of her, it was like love at first sight for the two. She was part of the reason why we got married. It made adoption easier."

"Ah…" Stiles breathed heavily, "Is that why you're here?"

"Sorry?"

"Is she the reason?"

"I spent years trying to find them. As will you. Trying to find them sooner, before she and the other children had to go through all that... “ He shook his head, still not able to shake his shortcomings.

Stiles thought his older self didn’t seem so confident anymore.

“But no,” He continued, “I came here because I had to, because I need your help to heal the nemeton. Because you and everyone else in the pack are tired of running and fighting. Because we deserve it."

"And you're sure we can do it?" He asked, still apprehensive.

"I mean, we did it before." He exhaled loudly.

"What's her name?"

At that, older Stiles smiled, "Sorry, but that, I can't say."

He closed his wallet and put it in his jacket pocket again, hanging it by the door. He tucked his necklace inside his t-shirt, which explained why Stiles hadn’t seen it before, and opened the door without explanation, finding Derek standing still and looking guilty.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," He said, but didn't sound angry.

"I wasn't, I mean I wasn't gonna, but then you were talking about…" Derek was still processing everything.

He wasn't surprised that Stiles would adopt a child in the next ten years. He was surprised that she'd be a werewolf, like him. From a ring of supernatural children trafficking. Stiles really did have a way to put himself in the most unexpected of situations.

Derek felt an urge to start looking for the traffickers right then and there. And he would, once this was over.

"Don't worry about it," Older Stiles said, squeezing Derek's shoulder once, "I'm gonna go buy some old timey candy to take to the future tomorrow, if you two want to join me," he offered, and the two agreed.

The entire way to the shops, the three talked about movies and TV shows that would be coming out in the next few years. Older Stiles recommended a few, and made the other two laugh about how many reboots, re-reboots and sequels many films would fall victim of.

The air among them was lighter now, they were starting to get used to the situation, grow accustomed to each-other and what all that meant. Derek and younger Stiles were waiting outside the shop for older Stiles, when Derek looked over to Stiles to find him, again, biting his lower lip.

"Hey," Derek nudged Stiles with his elbow, "You gonna be okay? It's a lot to wrap your head around," he said.

Stiles smiled at him, "Yeah, I think so. Thanks," He nudged Derek back, "She's just beautiful, Derek. You should have seen the picture. I mean I suppose you will, eventually," He looked at his own feet.

"I'm sure I will," he smiled back, feeling a weird familiarity.

Their shoulders were touching, and Derek barely noticed it. But then Stiles shifted beside him, and he could smell the anxiety emanating from him.

"Derek?"

"What's wrong?"

"No, nothing…" He looked over Derek's shoulder into the shop, before continuing, "Nothing's wrong. The opposite really, I uh, I couldn't sleep last night 'cause I was thinking too much about my future and all that stuff that we're not really supposed to think about, so I wasn't feeling great about things. But I'm okay now, so it's all good," Stiles reassured him.

"Okay?"

"'Cause I know that it doesn't matter what happens at least I know the pack will be with me, right?"

"Yeah," Derek smiled, "The pack will always be there for you."

_'And for as long as you want me there, I'll be by your side,' Derek wanted to say._

"And you too, right?" Stiles asked, again looking at his feet.

Derek felt Stiles' nervousness grow. He almost missed it with how his own heart was doing backflips in his chest. He felt a hint of something else in the air, and he needed to see Stiles eyes. He needed to be sure.

"Stiles… Can you look at me, please?"

Stiles looked up, reluctantly, and Derek found himself in his eyes. _'Oh,'_ And Derek felt hopeful and happy and desperate all at once.

He knew he'd seen that look before, many times. It was stronger in the other Stiles’ eyes, the one who had too much of it to be able to hide it. So Derek noticed it there first. Then, only last night, he was able to really see it for the first time in his Stiles' eyes. He'd never held Stiles' gaze for long enough to catch the extent of it. Always too afraid, always looking away a second too soon.

Older Stiles was right. He hadn't been paying attention.

"Yes," Derek replied, a little overwhelmed, "Me too," And he ventured into squeezing Stiles hand.

They stared at each-other again.

"I'm all done!" The other Stiles said, approaching them, "Everyone asked for a different kinda thing that we can't find anymore," He raised his shopping bag, as if he didn't know what had just passed, "I'm ready to go home… Though first we gotta kill that darach."

\----------

Stiles was born at 2:07 am, and that's the exact minute when his magic would spike. The pack was at Derek's loft, watching the storm brewing in the distance. It was nearly midnight and they were finishing their preparations for the battle.

Older Stiles was reviewing the plan with Scott and Lydia, when the younger one called Derek in a corner.

"Listen, man. You're gonna be right in the middle of it, as usual, cause you're just like that I guess, so I borrowed one of the books that Lydia had and did some browsing through them. I found these, sort of, magic runes, you know, like that shadow hunters movie but like for real."

Derek had only read the books, and he knew about runes much before he ever laid eyes on them.

Stiles continued, "So, I found them and there's this one that caught my attention that basically works like a shield for magic. I mean you'd still be vulnerable to physical, non-magical injuries, so don't run in front of a moving car. But maybe it could protect you a bit against the darach, though they're more powerful than me so maybe they'll still be able to cause some damage? Maybe that's not a good idea after all-"

"Stiles," Derek interjected.

"Yes, right, anyway, if you want, I could, I don't know, maybe draw one on you or something?"

"Sure, what do I have to do?"

"Really?" Stiles was genuinely shocked. When did Derek start accepting his ideas without arguments?

"Yeah, do you have to draw it in a specific place?"

"Um," Stiles really didn't think he'd get this far, "Close to the center is better…" He touched his own stomach area.

"Okay," Derek nodded, and took his t-shirt off without hesitation.

"Right," Stiles blushed slightly and looked away.

He missed the little smirk forming on Derek's lips. Stiles reached for a sharpie inside his pocket.

"Right," He said again, more firmly, trying to clear his mind and concentrate.

Stiles exhaled a shaky breath, putting aside the screaming thoughts that he was inches away from Derek's bare torso. He shook the sharpie loosely, whispering a few words, in a similar gesture to what his older self had performed the first night they met. He wasn't trying to mimic that gesture, he wasn’t even thinking about it. It just felt right.

He started drawing the rune just above Derek's belly button, trying his best to keep his hand from shaking, and leaving a trail of black marker with a faint silver glow on the surface.

Derek watched Stiles with shallow breaths. His skin tingled with the sensation of the rune being formed and he felt a deep hum grow in his throat. His body swayed a little, but then Stiles placed a firm hand on his side, holding him in place, and that was enough to anchor him.

Stiles finished and took a step back, letting go of Derek to analyse his work. Once satisfied, he realised how intensely he was staring at Derek's abs and blushed a little. He looked up.

"Dude, are you okay?" He blurted out, seeing the steel cold blue of Derek's eyes, "Does it hurt? Maybe I did it wrong?" He said, panicking, "Shit man, I'm so sorry!"

"No," Derek said in a low voice, forcing himself to come back from the edge, "It doesn't hurt," It was pretty much the opposite, "It feels," He didn't know how to describe it, and traced his fingers over the rune gently, "Nice…"

Stiles blush intensified instantly.

"Thanks, Stiles," Derek sounded a little drowsy.

"Sure," was the only thing he managed to say, still not convinced that he had done it right.

"Time to go," Malia said, coming back from the rooftop, "They're back."

When Stiles looked at Derek again, he had his t-shirt back on.

Before they left, his older self called Stiles.

“Yeah?” He asked, turning to face him.

“Happy birthday, buddy,” He said with a smile.

Stiles reciprocated, “You too, man.”

\----------

This time the darach had created even more zombies. The pack was struggling to move forward and get close enough to the nemeton. The Stiles’ were helping as much as they could, but they had to save most of their magic for the actual purifying and healing ritual. So at the strike of 2am, older Stiles knew he had to force them forward, whatever it took.

He whispered a combination of spells and shook both hands for a few moments, concentrating, feeling his magic build up in his chest. His hands were now glowing white, and he cast his spells one after the other, attacking some of the zombies and pushing forward. They were very close now, and they had a very small window for this to work. So it was lucky that he knew what he had to do. He knew his younger self was now watching him, following on his heel. Lydia and Derek were just a few steps behind.

Stiles watched his older self wide eyed. He was fast, and he was powerful. He whispered spells with agile lips, arms moving with intent and fluidity, eyes darting fast from target to target, an expression of pure concentration young Stiles never thought he’d be able to experience, it didn’t matter how much time it passed.

Derek was watching him too, mesmerized. So that was the man Stiles would become. Derek had never doubted it, he knew of Stiles potential even before they discovered he was able to use magic. Stiles was already incredible, and Derek knew it was just a matter of time until he saw that himself and became the best man he could be. But seeing Stiles’ future right in front of his eyes did things to Derek that he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

Derek would never be able to fall out of love with him. He would spend the next ten years of his life trying to become a man worthy of Stiles. He didn’t know what their future would bring them. He didn’t know if he’d be the man Stiles married. He didn’t know if he’d be another father for Stiles’ daughter. But Derek knew he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t try to be.

“Derek!” He heard his Stiles shout, before being hit in the chest by a spell.

Derek stumbled to the ground, feeling a sharp pain in his chest that knocked the air out of his lungs. The Darach approached him, having come out of nowhere.

“Derek!” Stiles shouted again, and darted a look at his older self.

Stiles nearly panicked, noticing the worry that flashed through his older eyes. Older Stiles was busy fighting three zombies on his own, and couldn’t get closer. Was there something wrong with the plan?

All the others were fighting too, hand to hand with the other undead.

He ran in the direction of Derek and the Darach, but was attacked by a spell that older Stiles had to deflect, protecting him. Young Stiles then attacked the dark druid, who took a step back, but didn’t seem to be injured.

“So weak,” They said, “All of you are so weak!”

But on the next second they were being dragged to the ground by Derek, eyes shining blue, claws and fangs out. He bit and slashed and punched with a velocity that the darach could barely match. They cast another spell and Derek faltered a couple of steps back, but was quicker to recover this time. The darach was confused about why Derek was immune to their magic. He should be dead twice over by now.

Apparently the rune was working.

“Derek, you can’t kill them!” Older Stiles shouted, and Derek seemed to sync with him, because the next second, Derek was moving with more purpose, attacking without hitting, nearly shepherding the druid in the direction of the nemeton.

Young Stiles synced up with the other two in turn. He joined Derek, shooting spells, making the creature fall back. Their movements were flowing through and around each-other, not giving the darach time to react. Younger Stiles had never felt more powerful.

“Stiles, now!” Lydia shouted, and then used her banshee scream, clearing the area of another couple of zombies.

Young Stiles felt a surge of power in his chest, an inexplicable warmth spreading through his body, making his fingers tingle and his mind clear. He could see everything and it didn’t overwhelm him. He was not used to that sensation, but he took it in, he took it all in.

He saw the way Derek moved, how his muscles shifted on his back, how he tackled the darach making them both fall on the nemeton. Derek’s fangs so close to their neck, hands clawing at their arms.

“Derek, move!” Young Stiles heard his other self shout, with urgency.

Then he moved closer and concentrated, murmuring the words of the spell he’d practiced with his older self. Derek was out of the way in one second. Older Stiles was trying hard to keep one paralyzing spell flowing while casting another spell under his breath. Then suddenly a burst of energy invaded their bodies.

2:07

They cast the spell, creating a flash of light that enveloped them all. When it finally subsided younger Stiles felt dizzy. His muscles hurt like hell and he was nauseous. He looked at his other self and he didn’t look in much better state, though he was sure that was because the older one had even more power drained from him. His view started getting blurry.

The last thing he saw was Derek running at his direction.

\----------

“He’s gonna be fine, Derek, stop pacing. You’re making me nervous.” Younger Stiles heard his voice saying, but he was sure his mouth was shut, just like his eyes.

“I’m making you nervous? You won’t stop doing that leg bounce thing.” Derek scoffed at older Stiles’ audacity, “And besides, it’s easy for you to say, you’ve lived that through,” He said, exasperated, but didn’t sound angry.

“Exactly! And I’m fine, see.” He heard himself retort.

“God, how can you be so annoying?” Derek asked, and something in his voice made young Stiles’ heart warm.

Older Stiles scoffed, “You say that as if we don’t know that you actually like it.”

Derek fell silent, feeling awkward. Young Stiles felt it was time to let them know he was awake.

“So we still argue like that in ten years or is future Derek less grumpy?”

Derek felt attacked from both sides now. Older Stiles took a few seconds to reply, shrugging and not looking at Derek.

“He smiles more, but I don’t think this will ever stop,” He motioned his hand between him and Derek. “How are you feeling, buddy?”

“Like I have a hangover,” He sat up and noticed that it was the morning and they were in Derek’s loft. He was lying in his bed.

Knowing his confusion, older Stiles said, “Didn’t want to worry dad. You looked pretty rough.”

“Did we do it?” He asked apprehensive.

“We did it,” His older self said with a smile.

Derek was smiling too. Younger Stiles felt happy.

Stiles sighed in relief. They had done it. It had worked. They would have peace now.

\----------

It was the evening when the entire pack met at the sheriff’s house to say goodbye to older Stiles. Scott had just arrived, so younger Stiles went to his bedroom, to let himself know that they were finally all there. He also wanted to say goodbye to himself in private. For reasons he didn’t fully understand, he was feeling a bit emotional with the prospect of not having the reassuring presence of his future self around anymore. In the past couple of days, he’d grown on him.

Stiles laughed at the thought.

His older self was changing into his own clothes again to go back to his own time in Stiles’ bedroom. Back turned to a half opened door. Stiles was going to knock, when he saw the other’s shirtless back, and the four tattoos he had there. His breath caught.

He had three runes trailing the centre of his back, one he knew was for protection, one he recognised as a concentration rune, and he didn’t know the third one.

What caused him to freeze in his place, however, wasn’t that Stiles would eventually decide to get tattoos, even with his absolute fear of needles. It was the tattoo just above them. He was sure that depending on the other’s choice of shirt, the tip of the triskele would sometimes be peering through the collar.

For a whole minute he couldn’t move, hand still, hovering between him and the door knob.

Older Stiles finished putting on his t-shirt and turned around, finding his gaze.

“Oh, yeah. Hey,” He said awkwardly, “I almost forgot this part...” He looked shy for the first time.

“You have… tattoos," The younger one swallowed audibly.

“I do.”

“A triskele tattoo,” Stiles felt his heart racing.

“I do.”

“The triskele that is the symbol of the Hale pack,” Younger Stiles was struggling with his words in a way that he hadn’t before in his life.

“Yes,” His older self wasn’t helping either.

“Why?” He asked, not sure if he could take the answer if he didn’t like it.

Older Stiles smiled openly, and cocked his head to the side, “Why do you think?”

Derek was right, Stiles really was annoying. The young one would probably give up a limb to receive a straight answer, but he knew the older one would never give him one.

He noticed the rune necklace hanging on his neck again. A protection rune. The same rune he’d drawn on Derek’s body the night before. Older Stiles must have realised what he was looking at, because he tucked it inside his t-shirt again.

“Listen,” The older one began, “Some stuff won’t be easy. Some shit will really haunt you for days,” He paused, and continued in a lighter tone, “But some things will be so good, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s real. And I can promise you, it’s gonna be so worth it.”

“Hey, you guys ready?” Scott asked, joining them.

“I am, bro.” Older Stiles replied, not missing a beat.

\----------

Older Stiles made the rounds hugging each of his friends tightly, saying it had been great seeing them all so young again. Telling Erica once more that he wasn’t gonna tell her about her future.

He hugged Derek last, a bit hesitant at first, but when Derek squeezed tighter, he gave it all to that hug. He pretended not to notice when Derek inhaled deeply the scent of his neck, he might still be trying to figure out how Stiles still smells so strongly of him after three days of barely touching each-other.

Derek wasn’t ready for the answer yet.

The hug lingered, and then older Stiles let go. He faced himself with a smile.

“You know what you’ll be thinking about, right?”

“You’re way too calm for living through the one thing you don’t know how it’s gonna turn out,” Younger Stiles said, a bit nervous.

“Yeah… but I know my way back to them. I can already feel them pulling me back,” He replied, feeling content.

He extended his arm so his younger self could grab his hand. They both muttered the magic words, and at the end of the spell held each-other’s hands. Stiles blinked, and his older self was gone.

\----------

It’s still Stiles’ birthday, so they all celebrate by going to the diner. They eat and talk and laugh for hours. The sheriff and Melissa also make an appearance at some point. They all say their goodbyes at the end of the evening, and Stiles realises that he doesn’t want to be alone. He doesn’t have much of a choice though, so he drives himself home.

It’s half past eleven when his phone buzzes and he pulls up by the side of the road to pick it up.

“Hey man, something wrong?” He asks, a bit worried.

“No, I just...” Derek pauses on the other side of the line, “I just forgot something.”

“Oh, you mean at the diner? Do you want me to go back to pick it up?”

“Not at the diner. Do you think you could meet me at the preserve? By the house?”

“Yeah, of course…” He waits a few seconds, “You sure everything’s okay?” He presses.

“Everything’s fine,” But the sigh at the end doesn’t convince Stiles.

\----------

At eleven forty-five Stiles pulls up by the preserve and makes his way to the ruins of the Hale house. Derek is standing there, in the dark. The moon-light makes the scene a bit melancholic, but Derek looks beautiful under it, and Stiles can’t help but stare at him.

He makes his way to Derek, slowly. He’s ready to start talking, making jokes, asking questions, rambling again, but something in Derek’s posture, something he’s only noticing for the first time, puts a stop to his thoughts. And he waits, standing by his side, trying to see what Derek is seeing.

“I’m gonna rebuild,” Derek says, simply.

“Good,” Stiles replies, “It’s about time,” He smiles at Derek

After a few moments, Derek starts again, “If things really quieten down, would you consider coming back?”

“To Beacon Hills?” Derek looks at him and nods, “Yeah, I’d like to.”

“Good,” Derek says, quietly.

“There’s something you’re not saying,” Stiles states. Derek just stares at him, “Why am I here, Derek?”

Derek takes a little paper bag out of his jacket pocket.

“It’s still your birthday, so I guess this is in order,” He extends the little package to Stiles who picks it up.

Stiles opens it, and lets the gift fall in his palm. A necklace with a pendant of a protection rune. Stiles is speechless. The necklace his older self was hiding had been given to him by Derek that exact same night. The necklace he knows he will still be wearing in ten years time.

“How long have you had this?” He asks, in a near whisper.

“It was my mother’s. I’ve been meaning to give this to you since we found out about your magic. It seems like the right time,” He has his hands in his pockets and is barely looking at Stiles.

“Thank you,” he says, feeling a bit emotional.

He puts on the necklace, which instantly glows, and then fades again.

“What do you think?” He asks Derek, forcing him to look at Stiles.

Derek moves closer and holds the pendant in his hand. He looks Stiles in the eyes, ignoring how Stiles breathing is uneven and his heart beats are erratic.

“Perfect,” he says, and he hears when Stiles’ heart skips a beat.

And then Stiles is looking at him the way he likes the most. Derek feels his heart heavy and the ground below his feet uneven. He can barely breathe now. He’s still scared, but he’s so desperate to just lose himself in those eyes, in the way that Stiles sees him, that it’s hard to think that anything else matters.

He takes another step, closing the distance between them, and Stiles eyes are staring at him eagerly. His lips are parted, like an invitation.

“Can I kiss you?” Derek asks in a low voice.

“You better.”

It’s barely a whisper and the sound comes out broken, but Derek’s lips are on his and Stiles feel like he’s been holding his breath his entire life.

They part for a brief moment and look into each-other’s eyes, searching for something. Derek smiles shyly when he finds it, and Stiles kisses him again, unable to stay away, pulling him closer and not letting go.

\----------

A week later Stiles goes back to university in San Diego. He and Derek talk all the time, and see each-other every other weekend.

One year and a half later, Stiles graduates and moves back to Beacon Hills. He works as a psychologist at the school and does the occasional consultant work for the police and some other people on the supernatural side of things.

In two years the new Hale house is rebuilt, and Derek asks Stiles to move in with him. He says yes.

Three years after their first kiss, almost to the day, Erica and Boyd get married in a small ceremony at the Hale house. Half a year after that, the sheriff and Melissa tie the knot, making Scott and Stiles actual brothers.

Four years later it’s Scott’s turn to get married, and he and Allison have werewolves and hunters mingling like a big, happy family in their big wedding. The next day Malia goes on a road trip to Europe, she meets Isaac and they don't know when she'll be coming back.

At the five year mark Cora comes to visit and ends up staying for good when she sees the new Hale house. Her and Kira get along quite well, and when they officially get together, the jokes about 'foxes and hounds' are constantly present in their lives.

Six is the year when Lydia receives her first nobel prize and Erica and Boyd have their twins. Derek and Stiles claim each-other as mates. Stiles now has four tattoos on his back.

Derek nearly dies seven years later, while sacrificing himself for his pack. Stiles uses all his magic every day for two entire weeks to bring Derek back from the edge of life and death. When he comes back, he’s an alpha again.

They find their daughter after eight years of searching. She’s very affectionate and more often than not she’ll attach herself to Derek’s leg or neck or arm and refuse to let go. Not that Derek ever tries to push her away. They name her Laura.

They get married almost nine years later, and the adoption papers finally get signed-off. Allison and Scott are expecting their first child.

At last, after ten years, Stiles comes back from a trip to the past. His husband and daughter wait for him on his front porch. Wild lilies on both sides of it. The rest of his family will be arriving soon to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. They’ve never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are always greatly appreciated <3


End file.
